Behind the Cube: Education & Innovation
Meet the Teachers, Learners, and Innovators of McGraw-Hill Education
Today’s Highlight: Holly Pope, Ed.D., Senior Curriculum Services Manager
We often say we’re #RedCubeProud. That’s because we’re an ever-adapting, forward-thinking group of learners, teachers, and creators with roots in a square logo that is evolving into a “cube”, in reflection of our dimensional, learning science-based approached to EdTech.
Perhaps what makes our team so passionate about our work is that we genuinely care about teachers, students, and fostering productive learning communities. Many of us have been teachers ourselves, and ALL of us are life-long learners.
To give you some insight into our team, we’re taking you Behind the Cube, one #RedCubeProud team member at a time. Today’s highlight:
Holly Pope, Ed.D., Senior Curriculum Services Manager
What do you love most about your role at McGraw-Hill Education? How did you come to be in this role?
I have had many roles in education, beginning as a 7th/8th grade math teacher, then moving on to be a high school math teacher, college professor (online and ground), subject matter expert, curriculum director, and now a Senior Curriculum Services Manager with McGraw-Hill Education. As an instructor, my reach was limited to five individual courses taught per term; now I work with numerous colleges and universities throughout the country, helping them configure their homework/assignments using our learning science technology and providing best practices for entire programs. I am a lifelong learner, and since being a professional student doesn’t pay the bills, my role at McGraw-Hill exposes me to many different disciplines, such as medical assisting, general education, business, and medical billing and coding, to name a few.
Over the years, I have worked with various sectors of higher education, including nonprofit, private, and 2- and 4-year institutions. I have had the opportunity to be the curriculum director at a for-profit institution, working with the CEO, the provost, the compliance officer, accreditation institutions, deans, subject matter experts, instructors, and students. These interactions allowed me to see the many perspectives that make up the larger picture, and I learned how to work together with all these diverse groups to make the best decisions about course design to maximize student learning.
Thankfully, while working as the curriculum director, I developed a relationship with two extraordinary ladies who worked at McGraw-Hill Education. They shared my resume with the curriculum services group, and after several interviews, I began my wonderful career in the learning science field. I am truly blessed to have met them and to be able to work with such an amazing group of people.
Why are you passionate about the work you do?
I have been a math tutor since I was in 7th grade, and have always had a strong passion not only for teaching students, but also helping them build confidence within themselves. I love that I work for a company that values student learning and maximizing the full potential of every learner. The company looks from the outside in and values each player from the student up to the CEO. I enjoy talking to faculty and hearing their excitement knowing that their time can be spent on teaching rather than grading. The best part about what I do is knowing that students from diverse backgrounds can use our learning science platforms to build confidence in themselves and increase student learning.
If you could pick ONE favorite memory of your time here so far, what would it be?
One of my favorite memories at McGraw-Hill Education is when I met partners at their corporate headquarters after working together virtually for several months. We spent a lot of time talking on the phone during our many meetings, but it was great to have the opportunity to meet the owner of the voice on the other line.
What do you hope to achieve at McGraw-Hill Education, to work towards empowering students?
I hope to continue using my education and experience to continuously improve our learning science platforms to empower students with more confidence and skills to push them further than they ever thought possible. I also hope to help empower instructors by building custom courses that allow them to focus on teaching. I believe that we must always reflect on what works and continuously evaluate how systems and processes can be improved in a time when technology changes daily, all the while never forgetting the goal of unlocking the full potential of every learner.
